ARDCATH, a parish, in the barony of UPPER-DULEEK,
county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER,
6¾ miles (S. by W.) from Drogheda, on the road
from Dublin to Drogheda; containing 1774 inhabitants.
About one-half is under an improved system of tillage,
and the remainder is excellent pastureland; the
principal corn crop is wheat. There are about 300
acres of bog, which is being gradually reclaimed and
brought into cultivation. On the townland of Cloghan
is a quarry of excellent slate, but it has not been worked
for some years. The weaving of linen was formerly
carried on to a considerable extent: about 200 looms
are at present employed in weaving cotton for the Dublin
and Drogheda manufacturers;and there are two
oatmeal-mills, one worked by wind and the other by
water. A fair is held on May 8th principally for cattle.
The parish is in the diocese of Meath; the rectory is
impropriate in the Marquess of Drogheda, and the vicarage
forms part of the union of Duleek. The tithes
amount to £265, of which £195 is payable to the impropriator
and £70 to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions
the parish is the head of a union or district which comprises
also the parish of Clonalvy and part of Fiercetown,
and contains two chapels, situated respectively
at Ardcath and Clonalvy: the former is a neat building,
erected about 80 years since, and recently much
enlarged; the additional part stands upon the glebe
land, by permission of the vicar of Duleek. A school
at Cloghantown, of 48 boys and 16 girls, is aided by a
donation of £5 per annum from the Rev. M. Langan,
P.P.; and there is an evening pay school at Yellowford.
The Rev. John Leonard, late P.P., bequeathed
the ground on which the residence of the R. C. clergyman
is built, and fifteen additional acres of laud, to be
vested in trustees for the use of all future pastors;
£10 per annum for the joint use of the three parishes
of the R. C. union, and one ton of oatmeal to be distributed
annually in the same district. The ruins of
the ancient church are extensive, but void of interesting
details; the belfry remains, and a bell has been preserved
in it from time immemorial, at the joint expense
of the Protestant and R. C. inhabitants, and is used at
funerals, and by the latter to assemble their congregations.